| Global Event: | Total Lunar Eclipse |
|---|---|
| Local Type: | Total Lunar Eclipse in Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| Begins: | Tue, Mar 3, 2026 at 3:44 am |
| Maximum: | Tue, Mar 3, 2026 at 6:31 am 1.149 Magnitude |
| Ends: | Tue, Mar 3, 2026 at 6:33 am |
| Duration: | 2 hours, 49 minutes | All times shown on this page are local time. |
March 3, 2026 — Total Lunar Eclipse — Virginia Beach
The animation shows what the eclipse approximately looks like in Virginia Beach. Stages and times of the eclipse are outlined below. All times are local time (EST) for Virginia Beach.
| Time | Phase | Event | Direction | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:44 am Tue, Mar 3 | Penumbral Eclipse begins The Earth's penumbra start touching the Moon's face. |  252° | 32.3° | |
| 4:50 am Tue, Mar 3 | Partial Eclipse begins Partial moon eclipse starts - moon is getting red. | 263° | 19.6° | |
| 6:04 am Tue, Mar 3 | Total Eclipse begins Total moon eclipse starts - completely red moon. Moon close to horizon, so make sure you have free sight to West. | 273° | 5.0° | |
| 6:31 am Tue, Mar 3 | Maximum in Virginia Beach This is the moment when the eclipse reaches its greatest magnitude while the entire Moon is above the horizon in Virginia Beach. The true maximum point of this eclipse cannot be seen in Virginia Beach because the Moon is below the horizon at that time. Since the Moon is near the horizon at this time, we recommend going to a high point or finding an unobstructed area with free sight to West for the best view of the eclipse. | 277° | 0.2° | |
| 6:33 am Tue, Mar 3 | Maximum Eclipse Moon is closest to the center of the shadow. Since the Moon is near the horizon at this time, we recommend going to a high point or finding an unobstructed area with free sight to West for the best view of the eclipse. Additionally, the eclipsed moon combined with dimming near horizon might make the Moon very hard or impossible to see. | 277° | -0.2° | |
| 6:33 am Tue, Mar 3 | Setting | Moonset Setting, but the combination of a very low moon and the total eclipse phase makes the Moon so dim before it sets, that it might disappear from view some time before it sets. | 277° | -0.2° |
| 7:02 am Tue, Mar 3 | Not directly visible | Total Eclipse ends Below horizon | 282° | -6.4° |
| 8:17 am Tue, Mar 3 | Not directly visible | Partial Eclipse ends Below horizon | 293° | -20.3° |
| 9:23 am Tue, Mar 3 | Not directly visible | Penumbral Eclipse ends Below horizon | 306° | -31.5° |
How to use altitude & direction to find in the sky
The curvature of the shadow's path and the apparent rotation of the Moon's disk is due to the Earth's rotation.
This total lunar eclipse is fully visible in Virginia Beach. The total lunar eclipse is sometimes called a blood moon, as the Moon turns red.
Cloud Coverage (Mar 3)
In the past, this day was cloudy 56% of the time (since 2000).
Countdown until eclipse begins
672Days 12Hrs 31Mins 7SecsVirginia Beach Eclipse Countdown
Lunar Eclipses
- When Is the Next Lunar Eclipse?
- Total Lunar Eclipse
- Why Does the Moon Turn Red?
- Partial Lunar Eclipse
- Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
- Can I See a Lunar Eclipse?
- Blood Moon - Total Lunar Eclipse
- Eclipse Seasons
- What Is a Tetrad?
- Magnitude of Eclipses
- Accuracy of Our Eclipse Calculations
- Why Two Dates for a Lunar Eclipse?
Eclipses and Transits Visible in Virginia Beach
| Eclipse Visibility From Virginia Beach | Visibility Worldwide | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 17–18, 2024 Partial Lunar Eclipse | Partial Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Mar 13–14, 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse | Total Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Mar 29, 2025 Partial Solar Eclipse | Partial Solar Eclipse |  | |
| Mar 3, 2026 Total Lunar Eclipse | Total Lunar Eclipse |  | |
| Aug 12, 2026 Partial Solar Eclipse | Total Solar Eclipse |  | Note: Click on the date link for details in Virginia Beach, or the path map image for global details. Currently shown eclipse is highlighted. |
Next total solar eclipse visible in Virginia Beach
Next annular eclipse visible in Virginia Beach